Singapore: Dawn of Apocalypse
by Word Warlock
Summary: It is the year 2020. The virulent plague known only as the "Virus" has spread from the United States to the rest of the world. Now, it has come to Singapore. And the young teenagers of a cushy school must struggle to survive, St. Joseph's Institution, a bastion of order against the growing sea of chaos. Power will be seized. Love will be found. And blood will be shed.
1. Chapter 1

-1-

Dan ducked into a stairwell, chest heaving, sweat beading. _So close,_ he mused to himself, and wiped his sweat off. A flash of movement outside the entrance, and he was off again, sprinting down the winding stairway. Marc was down, Alonzo was on the verge of being hunted down, and everyone else was in a tight spot of some kind. _Looks like I'm all alone on this one_ , he thought grimly, all too aware of the slap of Nikes against pavement behind him. Out of nowhere, a small yellow shape materialized in front of him- Denzel. Dan flinched and skidded to a halt.

"Are you caught?" Dan asked. "N-no," Denzel replied, then sprinted towards Dan. It was only when he was 5 meters away that Dan registered the falsehood. "You are caught, aren't you?" Dan spat.

"Yeah, sorry. End of the line, buddy," Denzel smirked, revealing a set of teeth as yellow as his shirt. Behind Dan, Ben caught up, and they both simultaneously rushed him. Even with a generously endowed frame, cornered like this in a narrow corridor, surrounded by catchers, Dan didn't stand a chance. Denzel reached over and tapped him on the shoulder. And just like that, Dan lost the game.

The runners and catchers congregated at the second playground beside the pool, shortly after the last runner was hounded down.

"Good game, guys," Denzel said, walking around shaking hands with everyone he considered popular. Except Dan.

"Was it really, Denzel?" Dan snarled, "I wasn't aware you were allowed to lie to other runners until you got close enough. "

"Hey, all's fair in love and war." Denzel laughed. No one else joined him.

"That's really low, man," Marc said weakly, trying and failing once again to 'fit in'. Dan sighed inwardly. _He has much to learn._ Heads drooped, bodies quaking with exhaustion, the two brothers trudged home.

Dad was at the kitchen sink, preparing some exotic and inevitably disgusting seafood dish, while Mom fried some more palatable looking salmon. "Get changed, unload the dishwasher, and set the table." Dad barked without looking up.

"Yes Dad," The siblings replied simultaneously. 15 years living with a robot-like man who demanded clockwork consistency had given them a pretty good indicator of what to expect. They headed down the hallway, pausing at the master bedroom to stare at their youngest brother Isaac, who seemed to be preparing some bizarre ritual to summon the pillow god, or whatever god was responsible for brutally mistreated pillows. Heading into the shower, Dan playfully shoved Marc against the wall and immersed himself in the hot water.

The dinner table was quiet -Dad wasn't in the mood for banter and nothing interesting was going on.

"Have you guys heard?" Isaac exclaimed abruptly, trying to break the awkward silence, "Biodome is inventing a test serum to cure cancer! They'll be injecting the serum into cancer patients tonight at 7pm, on live TV! Wanna watch?"

"It's no big deal," Dan replied unhurriedly, " People come up with supposed 'miracle cures' all the time. And do you really want to watch 45 minutes of people getting injected with liquid?"

Marc burped in response, his way of saying that he was full and did not care anything about the current topic.

Dan sighed. "I'm going to bed, guys," He announced, in the hopes that someone at the table actually cared. Then he did the dishes, and walked down the long corridor to his room, where he promptly fell asleep.

-2-

Screams erupted as panicked civilians fled the burning building. A chunk of roof, weakened by the scorching heat, fell, reducing a pregnant lady and her plump husband to a bloody pulp. Flecks of gore and the telltale white of skull bone covered the people running at breakneck speed to join the chaotic crowd of baying, half asleep families, almost as if they were driven not by fear but by… _hunger_. A young woman screamed as a rotting man took a bite out of her shoulder. Dan sat straight up in bed, heart pumping, adrenaline rushing, all thoughts of a late morning gone. _Relax, relax,_ he told himself, _It's just a dream_. And then the woman screamed again and Dan caught a whiff of civilization burning. This was all too real. He swung out of bed and sprinted to the closet, flinging on a denim shirt and khaki shorts with a chain link belt before heading into his parent's room. And stopped, open-mouthed. The room was empty, the windows were open, and blood stains spotted every conceivable surface. Worst of all, Dad's wrapped katana-cloth handle frayed with age but sharper than carbon steel- was gone. Dan shook his head. A master swordsman like Dad would never draw or even touch his legendary sword unless absolutely necessary. Filled with foreboding, Dan tiptoed to his siblings shared room.

"Hello?" He whispered - to no avail. The room was empty too, like Dad's room but without the blood spots. Screaming internally, Dan ran into the living room – and froze. Because not six meters away from him, a man was eating Sun Yi's face. And then the man looked up.

 _Ohshitohshitohshit_ , Dan mouthed as he backed against the wall, the man following his every move with those milky white eyes. The man growled- a low, animalistic sound that sent shivers up Dan's spine. Flustered, Dan glanced around for a weapon, and his hand closed around the hammer that Dad used yesterday to repair a faulty springboard. Silently thanking the gods that Dad had forgotten to put it back to the toolbox, Dan brandished it at the man, a small lump of metal the only thing between him and a bloodthirsty maniac. "Stop right-" The man sprang at him.

Dan instinctively lurched away, tripping over a plastic bucket in the process. The man clambered on top of him, saliva hanging from his bloodstained teeth. Screaming, Dan flailed the hammer at the man, and his nose collapsed with a sickening _crunch_. Unaffected, the man lunged for Dan's throat, teeth bared. Acting on instinct, Dan smashed the man's head aside, bringing the hammer down as hard as he could on the front of the man's forehead. _Crunch_. The man moaned, and reached for Dan. _Crunch._ The man fell flat to the ground, quivering. _Crunch_. The man sprawled on the ground, unmoving.

Stumbling back, Dan gasped, breath sawing from his throat. Somewhere in another world, a hammer dropped from nerveless fingers. What had he done? _You killed a man,_ his brain replied. But it wasn't his fault, he was being assaulted! _You killed a man,_ his brain responded. Dan shook his head, and stepped back. It was time to get out of here.

Dan grabbed a leather duffel bag, and began packing. Toiletries, Canned food, phone, medical kit, 4 portable chargers, 3 kitchen knives, a black T-shirt, lumberjack jeans, and a thick leather coat. He tucked the gore-encrusted hammer into his belt. Then he took a deep breath, and swung the front door open.

A scene of chaos met him. Whole blocks were on fire, and balconies around the pool were teeming with the undead. Despairingly, Dan scanned the perimeter for any sign of life. _There!_ On the clubhouse rooftop, a straggling group of kids were making a last stand against the zombies swarming up the spiral staircase. A boy caught sight of Dan, and waved frantically. With a start, Dan realized the boy was Marc. _I have to get there, fast,_ he thought, as he sprinted down the emergency stairway to ground level, feet slapping the pavement as he hurried to the clubhouse.

By the time he got there, things were getting out of hand. The few remaining survivors had no chance of holding off the multitude of undead with the makeshift weapons they had, and were soon to be overwhelmed. Dan looked at the throng of undead clambering up the staircase, and then at his hammer, which now seemed pathetically small. _No way in hell I can take them all out,_ he thought. _Unless.._

Thinking fast, he buried his hammer into the nearest zombies, stomach twisting in revulsion as he tried to get nearer to the support struts of the staircase. As he suspected, years of misuse and rust had eaten away at it, and it now groaned under the weight of the undead horde. The only thing standing between it and collapse was a few axe strokes. _Or in this case, a few hammer strokes_. Dan raised the hammer and brought it down. One, Two. The chain quivered, then broke. No time to think! Dan grabbed the handrail of the bending staircase and shimmied upwards, even as the zombies on the stairwell swayed and toppled as the staircase fell. A zombie barely upright bit into his arm, but even though the good leather jacket he had on turned the bite, Da felt pain shoot up his arm. Enough to make him lose his grip on the rung he was holding. As Dan clung to the rail with his remaining good arm, groaning, on a slowly toppling staircase filled with moaning undead, he gauged the distance to the top of the staircase with the amount of time he had left before the staircase gave way, and knew he would never make it. Out of time and options, Dan planted both feet on the handlebar and leaped upwards, drawing on the strength in his calf muscles. A leap of faith.

It was only a few seconds, but in that time, an eternity passed. Dan saw it all, the collapsing staircase, the zombies snarling as they fell, or crowding below him, ravenous for flesh, the worried faces of those on top. The ground rushed up to meet him.

And then his right arm was grabbed by Alonzo, who hoisted him up to the rooftop, grunting with exertion.

Dan lay on the rooftop, panting with exhaustion, thanking his many workout sessions. He was still soaking in his sweat when a burst of spontaneous applause roused him. Dan looked around, and discovered that practically the whole neighborhood's teenagers and kids were here.

"Dan! You're okay!" Marc yelled, practically weeping with relief. Dan narrowed his eyes.

"Funny how you should be so concerned about me after LEAVING ME FOR DEAD!" Dan shouted, his voice steadily rising.

Marc held up his hands in a placating gesture. "We had no choice! A man came in at 2am, bleeding like a stuck pig. We dressed his wounds, left him alone, and the next thing you know, BAM! The guy turns into a meatbag! We meant to warn you, but…" Marc trailed off.

"It's okay, " Dan said, pacified. "But why was Sun Yi in our house?"

"Dunno. Maybe she came to ask for help. Where is she?"

"Dead."

"Oh." Marc shuddered.

"Hey, it's okay bro. I'm here, and I'm still in one piece." Dan said, in a vain attempt to comfort his brother.

"More importantly, you saved us." A flirtatious voice said from behind him. Dan turned sharply and found himself face to face with Gladys. His face darkened. "Piss off." Murmurs of agreement and anger rumbled from the kids who were now clustered around Dan.

"Where's Isaac?" Dan asked, only to receive a horrified look from Marc.

"I thought he was with you!" Marc shouted, then squatted down, hugging himself. "Jumping jiminey cricket."

"Never mind. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Dan's face was grim.

"Well, since we're all here, why don't we take stock of our belongings and formulate some plan to get off this godforsaken rooftop?" Denzel asked.

"Yeah Dan, that seems to be a good idea," Alonzo echoed, and the kid's eyes all turned to Dan. _They look up to me_ , Dan realized with a start.

"Well, first off, I think we should cover all the exits and entrances. The zombies haven't used the interior staircase yet, but when they do, we're screwed. Denzel and Dexter, take the wooden chairs and tables in the lounge and barricade the stairwell. Me and the other kids will do a head count and patch up their scrapes." Dan said, and the other kids, most below 12 years of age, scrambled to action. All but one.

"And who made you the boss, I'd like to know?" Denzel whined, bringing everyone to a halt. "If anyone should be the leader of these saps it should be me! I'm 3 whole months older that you! So thanks, but I'm out!"

Marc punched him in the face. "Listen, pretty boy. In case you haven't noticed, we're in the middle of a bloody apocalypse and the only way off this building is the interior staircase, which is infested with meat bags. So unless you got a better idea or some rope, shut your mouth and listen to the one guy here that has his shit together." Marc snarled, as Denzel wiped a thin streak of blood from his face, shocked.

"Looks like your bro is finally growing a pair of balls. Good job with the staircase back there by the way," Alonzo casually remarked to Dan, before walking off to calm a group of crying toddlers.


	2. Chapter 2

-3-

What with the blubbering kids, zombie moans emanating from downstairs, and very evident lack of supplies or any semblance of planning of the other teens that had come here, Dan was fully preoccupied. It seemed as if everyone had just rushed here blindly with no thought about what would happen after. _Oh well,_ Dan thought. _At least Denzel is preoccupied_. He finished bandaging a gash on some little kids arm and sat back, exhausted.

"Hey." Marc came over and sat next to him. "How you doin'?"

"I'm okay." Dan replied, and as he looked into the concerned face of his brother, a weight in his chest lifted. "I just don't get why.."

"Why the dead don't stay dead? Why only the adults started turning? Well, join the crowd." Marc exclaimed resignedly.

"Well, any ideas, smartass?" Dan retorted. Having had Dan take the bait, Marc launched into spokesman mode.

"My theory is that the plague started when the Biodome corp started mass production of the cancer cure. It probably had some kind of chemical that reacted with organic chemicals in the body, and since adults have radically different chemical makeup from us kids, they were probably more affected. However, we have observed that the virus is transmitted via blood, which means if you get bitten-"

"Wait…are you saying that kids don't turn unless bitten?" Dan exclaimed, cutting Marc off. Marc, upset by this unwelcome interruption, stopped and scowled.

"In theory, yes. However, kids who may not be fit or healthy or too old, may , of course.." Marc coughed uncomfortably and looked at his pasty belly. And for the first time that day, Dan laughed.

Alonzo waved a hand, and Dan walked over to the interior stairwell to inspect their work. _Denzel did a good job_ , Dan grudgingly admitted. 4 meters of good thick oak wood stood in between them and the zombies in the staircase opening, should they come up, and further down on the lower staircase extra table legs had been arranged to trip and impede zombie progress. The children also had more adequate weapons, especially after Alonzo had used Dan's knives to sharpen stakes for them to use, before giving out the knives themselves to the more competent blade wielders. The eight or so wounded teens had been treated, and were now being made comfortable as could be against a stone wall. Dan surveyed their work. _Good enough,_ he thought.

Alonzo tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey, um, Dan? You know we can't stay here forever right?" He asked.

Dan looked at him, brow furrowed in thought.

"Of course. Any plans for getting off this rooftop? " Dan curiously replied.

"5 boys sneak down the interior staircase out of the clubhouse, then make some noise. The zombies will be drawn out of the clubhouse, and we can make our escape. " Alonzo said.

"And what about those original 5? Won't they be pursued by the zombies?" Dan inquired.

Alonzo grinned uncertainly.

"I guess those 5 will just have to run like hell."

Dan pondered this.

"What the hell? Let's do this."

-4-

10 minutes later, 5 figures leaped over the wooden barricade. First and foremost, Dan piled into any undead stragglers on the stairs with his trusty hammer. Marc and Alonzo came next, wielding sparkling cleavers that Dan had thought to bring. Lastly, two teenagers, Felix and Monroe, stumbled after, one holding Dan's third cleaver and the other armed with a long sharpened stake. The yells of the others were drowned out in Dan's ears by the blood pounding. The undead never knew what hit them. Dan weaved and slashed, ducked and shoved, his hammer a red blur as it sunk into the brains of one and then another zombie. Between Dan's combat aptitude and his friend's backup, the 7 or so zombies milling around on the lower interior staircase and the second level were soon dispatched.

"Hey dude, you can stop now. They're all dead," Monroe said, then winced, "Dead again, anyway." Dan straightened and looked around, and sure enough, bodies were strewn around him in a bloody ring, all of them have some sign of cranial trauma. Suddenly the bile rose in Dan's throat as he realized the extent of gore and destruction he had brought about, and he bent over and vomited what little he had eaten before leaving home all over the marble tiles. He looked up, and was surprised to see the team gathered around Felix.

"No, no, this can't be happening," Felix quavered, his gaze riveted to his arm, where a bite mark was oozing with zombie bile. Alonzo covered his mouth in shock. "Oh my god!"

"What the hell is-Oh." Dan said, understanding immediately what had happened.

"Well, what do we do now?" Marc coolly inquired, cold and calculating as usual.

"Maybe the bite isn't contagious. Maybe we can just wash it out. Maybe it'll be alright." Alonzo said, trying to convince himself more than anyone else. Everyone stared at him. "You're right," He said after a long pause. "Felix is royally screwed."

"I suggest we keep him in quarantine in the ping pong room over there. If he gets better, good for him. If not, then…he will be dispatched with honor."

"Well, let's get on with it." Marc shrugged, and ascended the stairs to tell the other kids that the second story was clear, followed by the others.

A bloodcurdling scream rang out.

Instantly Dan's system kicked into overdrive, he hefted his hammer, muscles tensing, blood surging, mind teeming with the increased hormonal input. _It's coming from the pool room_ , his subconscious told him, and he sprinted there, slamming his weight against the glass door. It gave, spraying glass everywhere, and Dan made a mental note to tread carefully. He bolted inside, only to be confronted with a horrific sight.

A girl was wielding a green crowbar, fending off a group of 3 zombies, while another girl, evidently wounded, lay on the floor behind her clutching her arm. Another 2 zombies were kneeling down in the corner of the room, gorging on a small body on the floor. _Her sister_ , Dan realized with a shock, noting the resemblance of the girl and the body.

"What are you waiting for? Drop these bastards!" The girl on the floor screamed, seeing Dan. Instinctively, Dan smashed the 2 feeding zombies in the back of the head, killing them instantly. Meanwhile in the other corner, the girl had finished off one of the zombies but was now sandwiched between the remaining two. The reanimated corpses growled and lurched forward, evidently fixated on their next meal. One latched onto the girl's arm and leaned forward to take a chunk out.

 _SPLAT_! _CRUNCH!_ The girl, having closed her eyes in acceptance of her fate, opened them in disbelief. Dan stood there, gasping for breath, flecked with grey brain matter and bile. Seeing her, he held out a supporting hand, and she took it.

Before slapping him as hard as she could. "If you'd come one minute earlier, my sister would still be alive!" She screamed in his face, eyes tinged with hysteria.

"Look, I'm sorry, but-" She had run out of the room to the next door karaoke room, unwilling to accept his excuses.

Dan stared after her in shock.

A groan sounded from the wounded girl, snapping him from his reverie, and Dan hurried over to her to examine her wounds, cursing himself for his selfishness.

"Dan, are you okay? We heard crashing and-WHAT THE HELL!" Alonzo and Marc came charging in, only to stop dead before the body of the dead girl.

"Get the med kit." Dan instructed, in a tone that would brook no argument, eyes still riveted on the blood seeping from the girl's stomach, who, mercifully, had fallen unconscious from the pain. Alonzo sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. This was going to be a long day.

"Uhhhh.." The girl's eyelids fluttered just as Marc had finished placing one of Dan's coats over her. "Where am I? Who are you?" She questioned Dan blearily.

Quickly, Dan filled her in on how they had arrived in the clubhouse, their identity, and their situation, taking care not to tell her everything. If there was one thing he learned from all those zombie movies, it was never to trust a survivor with all the info. "Anyway, what's your name? And why were you even here?"

She took a deep breath and started. "My name is Tracy. Tracy Ellis. When the shit hit the fan, I escaped from the undead with my best friend Chloe and her family. We decided to set up camp here, in the clubhouse. This morning we woke up to you guys barging in and occupying the top floor, and we decided to lay low in case you guys…tried anything."

"Then Chloe's dad, uncle, aunt, grandma and mom started acting weird. They would get up for no apparent reason and start sniffing the air, or stare at us. When they all decided to take a nap, we should have known something was up. About the time you guys started massacring the meatbags outside, they rose as-" Here she couldn't continue, and broke down.

"Well shit. Looks like that's all we're getting out of her," Alonzo rudely interrupted, earning a glare from Tracy.

Dan sighed, and abruptly stood up, causing Marc to start and drop the med kit. "I better go check on Chloe and Felix."

-5-

Dan approached the glass door of the karaoke. Sure enough, Chloe sat slumped in a corner, head in her lap.

"Um…hi Chloe." Dan said, suddenly awkward. Chloe looked up sharply, eyes bloodshot and teary.

"Who told you my name?" She inquired, edge in her voice.

"You've been crying." Dan said, ignoring the question.

Chloe arched one elegant eyebrow. "No shit, Sherlock Holmes." Dan couldn't stop the corner of his mouth from quirking upwards.

"Look, I'm sorry about …just now," Chloe said, voice softening. "I was…angry and blamed you for no reason. Can we just put it behind us and move on?"

"Sure," Dan replied, surprised at the transformation from the previous encounter. "Why don't you tell me about your sister?"

And just like that, the floodgates opened. Chloe told Dan everything, her sister's likes and hobbies, her background and relationships, and finally her sudden demise. Dan just sat there, listening, as Chloe unloaded her grief and trauma. "You haven't told me anything about yourself. You don't expect me to do all the talking, do you?" Chloe laughingly replied.

"There's not much to tell, really. I woke up late this morning to find my family missing and a…thing in my house eating my next door neighbor. Full credit for guessing how the hell it got in."

"I packed my stuff and headed out, and the next thing I knew, my brother and friends were fighting a horde on the clubhouse. I collapsed the spiral staircase and finished the stragglers, before going downstairs and meeting you." Dan finished his tale, and looked over to Chloe askingly.

"Collapsed the staircase and put down the stragglers, eh? Not too shabby." She stated, her eyes glinting. Dan grinned like an idiot, suddenly absurdly happy. They lapsed into a comfortable silence.

"I'm in." Chloe blurted abruptly, breaking the mood.

"What? Just like that?" Dan asked, shocked.

"My family is dead, my friend is injured, and you don't seem half bad. What have I got to lose?" She sat back and laughed at Dan's open mouth. "You're going to catch flies, mister."

"It's Dan, actually. Good to have you onboard." He shook her hand, then straightened up. "I better get going. I promised to check on one of my bit friends."

Felix straightened as Dan unlocked the glass door.

"Dan, I don't think I can't hold it together much longer," Felix winced, grimacing as the aroma of Dan's warm flesh met his nostrils.

"What's the matter buddy?" Dan started to walk over, concerned.

"NO! STOP! Don't. Come. A. Step. Closer." Felix screamed, gritting his teeth. Dan stepped back, wary.

"I can feel it in my veins, like the day before a cold." Felix continued, inching forward.

"It's okay. We can- we can figure this out. We can…cut your arm off or something." Dan stuttered, backing away from Felix's hungry stare.

Marc stepped into the room. "Hey peeps, Chloe-"

They all saw it.

The moment when Felix's brown eyes turned a sickly cloudy yellow, and his teeth bared in a feral snarl. Dan stumbled back, cursing. Felix leapt, taking Dan down in one stride.

"Marc, bash his head in!" Dan screamed, one hand frantically trying to keep Felix's jaws from his throat.

"I don't have anything with me! There's nothing here!" Marc screamed back, starting to hyperventilate as he scanned the room.

Dan was losing. Felix's arms bore down on him with a strength borne of madness, jaws snapping as they inched towards Dan's throat. "Marc, hammer…back pocket," Dan murmured, as he began to pass out. Marc dove for the hammer but Felix batted it to the far end of the room. Just then, Dan's overstretched biceps reached their limit, and defeated, he let his arm drop, accepting his fate. Felix, sensing his victory, let out a triumphant cry, before dipping his, no, _its_ head to partake. Marc watched openmouthed as he leaped towards the two, knowing that he would never make it in time.

 _Snick_! Felix's slavering fangs stopped a hair's breadth from Dan's throat, and Dan opened his eyes, as if not quite believing that he was still alive. Above him stood Felix, swaying. He let out a soft gurgle, before dropping to the floor, a 12 inch stiletto blade protruding from his putrid brain. Behind it stood Chloe, panting with exertion, right hand still gripping the leather grip in a vise.

"Th-thank you." Dan stammered, nerves still frayed from his close brush with death.

"You're welcome. Get your bro to cover your ass next time, kay?" She smirked, indicating Marc who was crouching in a corner holding a stool.

"Yeah. Great. Thanks." Dan said through gritted teeth, anger suddenly flaring up inside. _Useless bugger._

Chloe left the room, hauling the still-twitching corpse after her, while Marc came over to him.

"Hey dude, you-" He was cut off as Dan grabbed his throat and smashed him against the wall.

"What the hell was that? I put my ass on the line for you, and you cower in a corner while I die? Man up!" Dan shouted in his brother's face, spittle flying. Immediately the rage left him, and he felt what he had been this whole time, tired. "Look, I'm sorry, I just…"

"No, you're right. I need to get it together. I'm sorry too." Marc's face was an impenetrable mask of determination as he committed himself. He stalked out of the room.

Dan rubbed his forehead, sighing. _Holy crap, what a day._ He knew he had been harsh with his brother, but… _But you have to! If me and Marc are going to get through this long enough for the government to clear this up, he needs to stop being such a weak pansy!_ He headed upstairs after Chloe and Marc.


	3. Chapter 3

-6—

Marc's P.O.V

He sighed and stormed out of the room, cursing internally at his brother for his mood and throbbing throat. But he knew that the real reason for his anger was himself. _While your brother teetered on the brink of death, you stood away gaping like a damn goldfish,_ his brain accused. Shaking his head, he vowed that the next time it happened, he would be ready.

"Dude, is Felix still holding it together?" Alonzo cornered him outside the ping pong room, obviously concerned about his friend.

"He's dead." Mark said sadly. Alonzo's eyes stretched wide and he covered his face with his hands, but not before Marc caught a glimpse of those same eyes welling up with tears.

"He isn't the first and definitely won't be the last. Get over him." Marc said rather harshly, not bothering to sugarcoat the truth. Alonzo didn't reply, and Marc headed upstairs where the other kids were, leaving Alonzo alone with his guilt.

As soon as he went upstairs, Marc was swarmed with kids. Dan hadn't gone up to fill them in about the latest turn of events, so Marc told them exactly what had transpired downstairs, from finding the girls to Felix's turning. A few of them, however, were less than satisfied.

"So you mean to tell us that you guys went downstairs, got Felix killed, so that we could join up with a bunch of girls to consume our food supplies faster?" Gladys demanded incredulously, unaware that Tracy had walked up behind her.

"Look, this-" Marc snapped angrily, but Tracy snapped faster, her voice edged with steel. " _Bunch of girls_ , huh? Watch your mouth. You probably eat twice the amount of food me and my friend eat anyway, judging from your size."

"Shut your mouth, tramp," Gladys shrilled, scarlet with rage, "At least I don't get people killed!"

"And at least I don't reuse the Twinkie wrappers as condoms," Tracy shot back, eyes twinkling maliciously. Marc just stared, speechless with admiration.

"Shut it, you two," Dan said, "We've got to work together if we want to make it through this." But Marc could tell from his twitching face that he was struggling not to laugh.

"Maybe you should shut it, Dan. The whole time you've been here, all because you saved us once, you start acting like some stuck up shmuck." Denzel squeaked, taking the opportunity to air his dislike of Dan. He turned to the others. "Felix was a great guy. Always knew his place, always kept out of trouble, and now because of _this_ twat, " Denzel gestured to Dan, "He's dead, and so will we all be if we keep taking this guy's bull."

 _Holy crap,_ Marc thought. _Denzel's pulling a power grab. I hope people aren't stupid enough to believe this._ But to his utter shock and dismay, mutters and whispers began circulating around the group, the boy's faces becoming more hostile by the second.

"Guys, I don't know what you think happened down there, but-" "No.". Dan said quietly, cutting Marc's attempts at an explanation off, "Denzel's right." Dan turned to the group of kids, who looked back at him with mistrust and antagonism. "Denzel's absolutely right guys!" He shouted, startling them all, "I'm not a leader. Felix is dead because of me. So from now on, I'm 'abdicating'. Denzel can lead you guys. Me, and anyone who wants to follow me, will head out to Yew Mei Green. Maybe there will be survivors there. Are we agreed?"

Marc, and practically the whole group, stared at Dan in shock. _What?_ But then Marc heard it, a sneering, cutting sound. Denzel was sniggering.

"I'm in favor of it. So who wants to throw their lives away, step behind Dan." Denzel said, relishing his long awaited authority.

Alonzo, Monroe, and Marc were at Dan's side in an instant, followed by Russell, Ian, and Ben, 3 of their closest friends, Tracy, and Gladys, much to the former's chagrin. Chloe stood there a minute, pondering.

"Oh, what the hell." She said, and went to stand behind Dan.

"Good to see that we're all in agreement." Denzel said, and turned to Dan, eyes cold. "You have 10 minutes to pack and get out."

Shuddering under the weight of Denzel's serpentine stare, Marc bent to pack up the remainder of Dan's belongings, including the knives, still razor sharp from their last usage.

"You know the road from Windermere to Yew Mei is swarming with zombies right?" Marc interjected, whetting his favorite green blade on the pavement.

Dan's lips split in a feral grin. "I'm counting on it."

-7—

Chloe's P.O.V.

What was she doing? If her parents were still alive, this would be the exact opposite of what they would want her to do. She could almost hear her father's disapproving voice in her ear, _Look at you, throwing away personal safety in place of teenage companionship._ Glancing sideways at Dan as they silently trudged out of Windermere, she couldn't help but agree. Standing half a meter away was possibly the most gorgeous boy she had ever met and was probably ever going to meet again in this godforsaken reality.

"Up ahead is the guardhouse. I'm pretty sure the security guard is in there-undead. I'll need someone to accompany me to watch my back while I dispatch the security guard." Dan said, looking probingly at the group.

"I'll go." Chloe agreed before she even registered what was coming from her mouth. _What are you doing? At this rate, you'll be lucky if you last till tomorrow_!

"Why would we need to take out the guard? We could just, I dunno, _sneak_ past it? Anyone thought of that?" Tracy enthused mockingly, and Chloe smiled. They had both lost so much, and Tracy still found the strength to be a smartass.

"No. We're going to have to take out that guard some time anyway, if we want to come back here. Plus, I want to see the security feeds. Is that okay, or would you like some milk from our supplies to _calm down_?" Marc replied in the same tone of voice, drawing a glare from Tracy. Chloe stifled a smile. Seems that her best friend had met a foe worthy of her steel.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go!" Alonzo barked, a tinge of fatigue evident in his tone.

They made their way to the guardhouse, all too aware of the gurgling sounds of an undead in the small booth. Chloe circled behind Dan, scanning the slopes in case they should be ambushed.

"Jesus." Dan muttered as they came in sight of the meat bag inside. Flailing around in a pool of his own faeces and vomit, a rotting bag of donuts still clutched in one hand, the once-security guard caught their scent and leaned forward, growling. Looking closer, Chloe saw that he had attached a handcuff to his chair.

"Looks like he handcuffed himself when he realized he was going to turn. At least there are some decent people left in the world." Dan's voice broke through her thoughts.

"Just get it over with." She instructed.

"Yes ma'am." Dan made if fast and clean. The zombie slumped forward, brains leaking from the back of his skull, put out of its misery. They bolted back outside, glad to be away from the stench of a rotting corpse.

"No time for this! Let's go!" Monroe yelled, sensing the unspoken order in Dan's gaze. Wearily, they trooped on, rounding the guard's booth to venture outside the condominium into the streets.

Russell looked upwards, frowning at the darkening sky. "We're toast if we don't reach Yew Mei Green in an hours time at max."

"Yeah well, less talking, more walking, or in your case, rolling!" Gladys laughed in an attempt to inject humor into the situation. Russell glared at her.

Wordlessly, Ben walked on, ignoring the others' petty squabbles, and, chastened, Ian, Russell and Gladys hurried to catch up.

"Oh gods." Marc stopped, inadvertently bumping into Russell as he abruptly stopped. His feelings were soon echoed by the others. Up and down the entire highway, the undead stalked, hungry, mindless, lethally fast. True, the majority was trapped in cars, but scores paced the streets, obviously having reanimated in the streets.

"No way we're getting through this." Tracy murmured. Dan frowned, brow furrowed in thought.

Just then, a zombie stopped and sniffed the air, then, growling, began walking in the general direction of them. The answer hit Chloe like a thunderbolt.

"Dan!" She whispered urgently, pulling him down behind the ruins of a wrecked car.

"What?"

"I know how to get past them! Look, their eyes are cataracted, right? Which means they can't see out of them!"

"So?" Dan said, obviously unimpressed.

"Which means they're probably relying on their hearing and scent to locate us! So if we can mask our scent, and tread quietly, we can get past them!"

Dan raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "So what you're saying is, if we tiptoe past these things with some gunk on us, we can sneak past an entire undead horde?"

"Yeah. That's exactly what I'm saying." Chloe snapped. Dan smiled.

"Well, let's do it!"


	4. Chapter 4

Dan's P.O.V.

"Yeah. That's exactly what I'm saying." Chloe snapped. Dan smiled. _This girl has some pluck_.

"Well, let's do it!" He emphatically said, surprising even himself. Heading back into the guardhouse, he emerged hands filled with gore. "Remember this was your idea!" He said, smearing her with foul-smelling muck onto her. She grimaced as the toxin stench rose from her. "Zombies won't be eating you in a hurry," He grinned, then went over to smear the others. Chloe smiled internally as groans arose.

She wasn't the only one to hear their groans however. The zombie who had been following her earlier burbled, and swung round to face the group. Dan spasmed in alarm as he spun round. _One loud howl, and we're all dead_. He continued to work, taking especial pleasure in smearing Marc's face with gore, much to the latter's distaste.

"Um…Dan? Zombie behind you?" Alonzo quavered, wondering why Dan hadn't sprang into action yet. Dan winked at him, and continued to work as the zombie lurched ever nearer.

"There." Dan stepped back as he finished with Gladys, wiping his hands on her shirt. Gladys squealed, and slapped his hand away. The zombie was half a meter away from them by now.

To the astonishment of the group, Dan did nothing. At the last possible moment, he turned his body, allowing the zombie to pass by him. Confused, the creature stopped, and sniffed the air again. Then, it continued past the group. Dan smiled, and gestured.

"We are officially invisible."

-8-

They walked lightly, nerves on edge, wincing at every scrape their feet made, an island of humanity in the sea of undead. Indeed, the undead around them were seemingly endless, mouth gaping as drool and contaminated bile dripped from it, each drop a death sentence in the bloodstream of a human. Some of the zombie's legs had given out, but they dragged themselves on, unaware of the trail of scraped off skin and blood they left in their wake. Marc glanced fearfully at Dan, and Dan smiled and gave Marc's hand a squeeze, trying to look braver than he felt. A zombie stumbled past, a fire hatchet with an arm still attached to it buried in it's arm, effectively killing the moment.

For 5 minutes they walked, an eternity. Every undead had a different story to tell, a story of grief, loss, mankind's fruitless struggle against the forces of nature, a tale of loved ones hurt, of friendships broken, of other survivors who hadn't been so lucky. A girl crawled past, still dressed in a taffeta dress, spotless if not for the flecks of gore around her mouth, and Dan bit down hard on his mouth to keep from vomiting.

The entrance of Yew Mei Green loomed into sight, and Dan breathed a sigh of relief. They had made it! As if on cue, the night street lights turned on, illuminating the path ahead. _Talk about the light at the end of the tunnel_ , Dan thought, and edged forward.

A huge shape blocked out the light as a shadow oozed over the pavement. Dan stood stock still, as a roar boomed over the street. And then the thing moved in between them and the entrance.

It was…a zombie. Just a zombie. But what a beast! Huge, rotting muscles framed a powerful torso, neck muscles bulging with green fluid as it lifted its huge cranium to the sky in a howl. But it hadn't seemed to notice them yet.

"C'mon guys," Dan whispered to the others behind him, frozen just like he was, "We can get past it if we just keep quiet-"

Gladys screamed.

All hell broke loose. A score, no a hundred undead heads swiveled towards them, and a low rumble began as every zombie within a 1 km radius charged towards them. The hulk however, didn't seem to be very receptive to sound, and merely cocked its head toward them and began clambering forward. That was probably the only reason they were still alive.

And the zombies were on them. Biting, clawing, scratching, the stench of their disease wafting off them, the undead slammed into every object standing like a tidal wave on the beach. Dan took cover behind a nearby car, and motioned to the others to join him. Fate however, had different ideas.

Ian stood up taller, facing the zombies, evidently believing the end was here. "Come at me, you bastards!" He screamed, before raising his knife and plowing into the midst of the swarm with a vengeance.

The car lurched against the weight of the zombie assault, and Dan gritted his teeth. _We'll be dead_ _in seconds,_ his logical mind informed him. Then he saw Ian go down in a tangle of undead, lush ripping sounds contrasting with the screams of agony as Ian watched his glistening intestines stuffed into hungry mouths. This jolted Dan out of his bloodlust.

 _C'mon, c'mon, there has to be some kind of-_ Dan's feverish gaze drifted over the terrain, then latched onto a tall tower-like structure, standing above the stampede. _The Yew Mei Green guardhouse!_ If they could just reach that staircase…

"Okay everyone, me and Alonzo will provide cover! You guys, run like hell to that staircase!" Dan shrieked over the sound of the undead.

Tracy and Chloe were the first to run, followed by Ben, Marc, and Russell. Dan and Alonzo leapt into the fray, chopping, hammering, creating an undead barrier using the bodies of the undead themselves.

Dan ducked under the sweeping arms of a reanimated elderly man, then swung his hammer upwards to spill the brains of another female meat bag. A teenage boy, recently undead, was about to bite into Dan's ankle when his head was hewed off with the force of a meteor.

"Dan, we can't keep this up, " Alonzo panted as he swung his blade to decapitate yet another undead, "There's just too many!"

"I know." Dan gritted his teeth and grabbed Alonzo's arm. "Let's get up there."

Meanwhile, the others had managed to make it to the clubhouse. Marc banged open the door, and they all hustled inside. Just then, a scream emanated from the door.

"Guys! I'm still outside!" Glady's panicked voice was clear. Marc straightened to help her in, but Ben grabbed his hand.

"No. That bitch was the one who got Ian killed. I'll handle this." Ben shoved Marc backwards onto the guardhouse floor and strode forward, pushing the door open.

Sobbing in relief, Gladys tried to enter the guardhouse, but Ben blocked her. She looked up, brow crinkling in confusion. "What are you doing?"

Ben started shoving her down a few steps, closer and closer to the zombie horde. "You want to scream, well you can scream all you want down there! Ian was sacrificed because of your stupid nerves, and I'll make damn sure you join him!" And with that, Ben pushed her down the side of the staircase, straight into the mass of undead. But he didn't take into account Gladys' weight.

Just before her center of gravity tipped her over the edge, Gladys grabbed Ben's arm in a bid to stop her fall. Ben's eyes, narrowed in hatred, suddenly opened wide as he realized his danger, but by then it was too late.

They scream as they pitch into the horde, and the zombies look up, mouths gnashing the air in anticipation. And they do not have to wait long. Ben and Gladys are consumed so rapidly not a drop of blood makes it to the ground. Dan screams as he spots two chunks of flesh surfing the tide of zombies, Ben's corpse still bearing facial features contorted with pain and shock. Then Alonzo made it to the top of the stairs, opening the door and slamming it shut against the hell outside.

-9-

Tracy looked up as Dan and Alonzo came inside the guardhouse, soaked through with sweat and blood. "Thank God you're here. You have no idea what went down just now."

Dan walked up to Chloe. "What the hell went on just now? Why did Gladys and Ben fall down? We didn't risk our goddamn lives just for you idiots to commit bloody suicide!"

"I can explain everything," Marc chimed in, nervously tugging at his shirt lapel as if defusing a bomb. _Which in a way, he was_.

Alonzo said nothing. Then he yelled at the wall so loud everyone jumped. The yelling continued for a few minutes, before it died down to a choked sob. Dan put his arm around Alonzo, who had slumped to the floor. "It's okay, it's all good. We made it, we're alive."

Alonzo continued to sob, his muscular frame shuddering. He looked up, the intensity of his gaze blinding, and the company all looked away.

-Tracy's P.O.V.—

Dazed and fatigued, Tracy found a comfy chair in the guardhouse corner, and settled into it for the night. They had searched the guardhouse, which was mercifully free from undead. It had 5 cozy rooms exactly, just nice for each of them to have some privacy, and while Alonzo had insisted on them sleeping together for protection, Tracy had adamantly disagreed. She really didn't want to wake up to her best friend and Dan making out (Although from the two's body chemistry, she suspected it was going to happen sooner or later.) She was just beginning to roll up her jacket for a pillow when a hand tapped her on the shoulder. All the tension in the air had set her on edge, and she whirled around, drawing the stiletto Chloe had lent her in one fluid motion. Marc yelped and leaped backward, a small pillow dropping from his hand.

"Oh. Sorry." Tracy quipped, rubbing the back of her head apologetically.

"I found this pillow behind the security guard seat. Figured it would be more comfortable than a rolled up jacket." Marc replied, obviously embarrassed about his dramatic reaction.

"Why don't you take it? I'm doing fine here," Tracy said, and Marc shrugged.

"I'm a male, I can take the insomnia. You, on the other hand, need all the sleep you can get."

Tracy flushed with anger. "You chauvinist pig!"

Marc shrugged again. He was getting good at it. "Hey, if you don't want it, I can take it back."

Tracy was all too aware of what she stood to lose. "I'll take it. But this doesn't mean anything!"

Marc smirked. "Yeah yeah. We'll pick up the cooking supplies tomorrow, okay?"

Laughing, he just managed to dodge the jacket thrown at him and ducked out of the room.

Tracy sat back into the chair. _Frustrating, pigheaded, little man_. She leaned into the small pillow he had brought her.

Chloe's P.O.V.

"You know we can't stay here for long, right?" She quipped, sitting next to Dan on the easy chair.

"Yes, yes. In fact, I don't even think we'll be safe anywhere. We need to find some place, get guns, set up a permanent barricade. We leave at daybreak." Dan replied grimly, and Chloe knew he was serious.

"But why? I mean, the zombies can't fly. Or climb stairs, for that matter. We could stay here, gather supplies…" She trailed off.

"Yet." Dan's one word held so much foreboding she shuddered. "You saw that _thing_ on the street. Even if a man exercised every day of his life, he couldn't grow to that size. You know what this means, don't you?"

"They're evolving. The virus probably started out as dilute, and as time goes on, it advances and enhances the zombie's abilities. Right now they can't climb stairs, swim, or have cognitive function. But soon they will, and if we don't have some kind of permanent structure to hold them off, there's a good chance none of us will make it to the next week." Dan continued grimly.

"So it's 'us' now, is it?" Chloe teased, coaxing a smile out of Dan.

"At this point in time, yes." Dan acknowledged.

"Hey guys, we- oh." Marc had entered the room, hair rumpled, eyes huge as he took in the scene.

"It's…It's not what you think it is!" Dan said desperately, trying to salvage the situation.

Marc glared. "Oh yeah? Why are you so close to a girl, alone, on a freaking bed?"

"Don't be like that." Chloe snapped, her sharp tongue coming into play once again.

"Whatever. Great time to get a girlfriend, Dan. And Chloe…" Marc paused as he walked out the door, "Keep off my bro, tramp."

Chloe paused, and looked back at Dan uncomfortably. "Well, I'll just go to my room, I guess."

Dan stared at her. "Yeah. Go. And this night didn't happen, understand?" Chloe looked back, hurt. Dan sighed. "Just saying."

Dan's P.O.V.

Dan scowled, lying backwards on the bed. Maybe in another reality, one where the dead stayed dead and the living stayed put, where teenagers could pursue an education instead of being pursued, maybe, just maybe, he could protect her. As of this moment…

"Nihil durat in aeternum," Dan muttered softly to himself, "Nothing lasts." He couldn't afford to be burdened by commitments if he wanted to keep the group- If he wanted to keep _her_ \- alive. It was the last lucid thought he had before sleep claimed him.


	5. Author's Note (Please read)

Hey all! I appreciate your reading this. I am very new to fanfiction and I didn't really know how it works yet. So I figured since this was my first story, I would let you decide on what happens. Please review and tell me what you think and what should happen next! Thanks!


	6. Chapter 5

-10—

Tracy's P.O.V.

Hungry growls rumbled from the dusty windows, rousing Tracy from her dark, dreamless sleep. Rubbing her eyes, she peered out the window. The undead milling around below seemed to have doubled in size, and the tall guardhouse was surrounded. Even more alarming, some meat bags had piled up on the steps, allowing more zombies to step on the bodies of their compatriots to slowly ascend the stairs. _They can smell us_ , Tracy's stomach lurched, and as if confirming her suspicions, several undead looked up at her and growled. _We need to get out of here_.

Slipping out of her chair, Tracy donned her sweater and walked into Chloe's room, shaking her friend awake.

"What time is it?" Chloe groaned, glancing at her watch. Then she registered the incessant moan from the window and nervously glanced down.

"Time for you to get the hell up. The boys are already up scouting the perimeter, and the idea of the males doing all the work while females sit back and flutter their eyelashes is plain wrong." Tracy replied, packing her few articles of clothing into a haversack.

They joined the boys out on the guardhouse balcony, surveying the landscape. Marc was jittery, having recognized some of his former classmates in the throng of rotting flesh, now baying for their blood. Alonzo cursed, spitting a long strand of saliva into the crowd of meat bags below. They didn't seem to mind.

"Ah. Tracy. Chloe. Glad you're awake. Any ideas for getting out of this predicament?" Dan's calm voice broke through the moans of the undead. The girls simultaneously shook their heads.

"We can't cut our way out of that to get to Yew Mei," Marc rationalized, narrowing their options. "That means we can either stay here and hope they go away, or-"

"Or we could sacrifice one of us. To draw the meat bags away and secure an escape route for the rest." Alonzo broke in darkly, and the group exchanged nervous glances.

"No! There has to be another way. Maybe we can, I dunno, find a ladder and climb above…" Tracy's voice trailed off as she realized how absurd that sounded.

The undead below continued piling up, almost reaching the middle of the stairs. "Whatever we do, we better do it fast. We don't have much time left."

Marc's and Dan's gazes locked. They both knew what had to be done. "Draw straws." They echoed the same thought.

A few minutes later, it was all set up. Chloe had found a few discarded straws in the cappuccino cups, and had collected one for each of them. Alonzo explained. "Ladies and gentlemen, in Marc's hand we have 5 straws. One straw, however, is short. We will each draw a straw, and the one who draws the shortest straw will have to draw the undead away from the guardhouse. All clear?" They all nodded, brows knit in apprehension.

Tracy went first. Squinting at the hidden straws, she opted for a straw. It was long. Squealing with delight, she stepped back to join the others.

Next was Alonzo. Bushy brows knit in concentration, his penetrating gaze scoured Marc's hands, as if by looking hard enough he could see through them. He too, drew a long straw.

Chloe closed her eyes and randomly grabbed a straw. It was long.

The group stared at the remaining two straws. One was long, one was short. And it was up to Dan to discern which one the long straw was.

Forehead beading in sweat, Dan steadied his trembling fingers, and reached out for the straw on the left. His hand grazed the straw.

Then, all of a sudden, Dan, as if possessed, jerked back. He grabbed hold of the other straw.

And pulled.

The straw came out, its plastic length glinting in the sunlight. And ended.

Dan stared in horror as he looked at the short straw in his hand and the group joined him in a collective sigh of horror and sympathy.

"I'm sorry. I really am." Alonzo's eyes were cold and dead as he gestured to the zombies piling up on the staircase, "We only have a few minutes left, so you better hurry." _What had happened to the once cheerful, loyal Alonzo I knew?_ Dan wondered. And then it hit him. Alonzo was alive. He breathed, he talked, he _lived,_ but the death of his friends had left him as dead as the undead now prowling the street.

"Right. On it." Dan gave them all a tight smile. "I'll send postcards." Dan zipped up his thick leather jacket and biker jeans, and prepared to jump into the fray of zombies.

"No! There has to be another way. Maybe we can climb the-" Chloe interrupted desperately, looking pleadingly at Dan. The one survivor that she trusted with her life and she was going to lose him? "We can't do this!"

"Go now!" Alonzo screamed, smashing in the head of the first undead to reach the top of the stairs. "They're all over us!" Dan pulled up his socks, and prepared to leap in what was nothing less that a suicide jump.

Something smashed into his side, knocking him back unto the guardhouse roof. Dan looked up, dazed, as Marc pulled his bite protection clothing off him. "Sorry bro, but I think I'll need that more. And I think we need you more." Then Marc clutched his knife and jumped into the fray.

The change in the zombie swarm was like a thunderclap. Immediately, from pushing towards the fresh meat on the roof, the zombies turned as one to grab Marc. Dan watched in awe as Marc cleaved into the zombies around him, pushing ever away from the guardhouse. Marc seemed more machine than man as he drew on a strength Dan never knew he had, pushing through the horde and leading the zombies with him, like some sick twisted version of the Pied Piper. Marc screamed as an undead chomped into his arm, but thankfully the teeth did not penetrate the jacket, and Marc continued on, straining every sinew just to stay afloat in the sea of undead.

Marc disappeared from sight, his cries fading away as he rounded the next block, still tripping and jumping over fallen zombies in his wake, and Dan found himself desperately hoping against hope that the only family he had left lived on.

A bloodied hand landed squarely across his shoulder, as Alonzo tried to pacify him. "Your brother was a heroic-"

"Don't you dare refer to him in past tense!" Dan screamed, shoving Alonzo to the ground with all his might. "You always thought he was weak and now you're trying to sugarcoat your feelings! Hell, you'd probably be saying that to Marc right now if he hadn't…if he hadn't…" Dan couldn't continue. A tear wet the concrete, then another.

"He saved us. And we're forever grateful to him, wherever he is." Chloe's voice sounded so far away as she walked up to him. Dan winced involuntarily, moving away from the rooftop towards the now empty staircase leading to the street level. "Let's go."

Tracy didn't make any response.

They trooped down the now empty staircase, Marc's questionable fate hanging like a plague in the air, dulling smiles and shortening conversations. The carnage from yesterday's mad fest was all to evident, with the trampled and maimed bodies of the undead spread like some hideous green-grey carpet across the tarmac. Here and there, zombies moaned, trapped by debris or immobile. Most chilling of all, to Dan, was the various infection free ligaments sticking out of the body piles, helpless victims of the zombie horde brought on by Gladys untimely scream. Dan scuffed his shoe free of some unidentifiable substance he had stepped on, and the others stopped to wait for him. Tracy however, was too far ahead.

"Guys! I think I found something!" They all jerked upright, then hurried over to where Tracy was standing over a meat bag. This undead, however, was different. Its stomach and limbs were fleshy and swollen, as if someone had tried to fit a whale inside it. It moaned and pushed at the iron beam trapping it, filmy eyes staring right at the survivors.

"What's up with its stomach?" Chloe asked inquisitively.

"Dunno." Alonzo shrugged. "What matters is that it's dead. Or dead again."

Dan ignored them. Walking forward, he grabbed Alonzo's knife, then strode over to one of the nearby cars, which was still burning.

"Hey! Are you insane? What are you-" Alonzo lapsed into silence as the others ignored him, equally curious as to what Dan was up to.

Dan grabbed a shred of newspaper fluttering on the breeze, then set fire to it. The newspaper, dry from age, flickered to life. Dan walked over to the bloated undead corpse and sliced open its belly, not even grimacing as the pungent reek washed over him. Hell, he had better things to be disgusted over.

He held the newspaper to the gases wafting from the body. As he had expected, the newspaper exploded in a tiny explosion, before dying out. Dan stood up, rubbing his head grimly. "You all know what this means, right?"

"They explode now." Chloe finished his thoughts. "We're screwed."

Dan walked back to the group. "What are we hanging around for? We have a neighborhood to explore."

Dan thought back to his brother Marc, desperately hacking away at undead limbs. _What would he be doing if he was here with us?_ Dan smiled to himself. _Probably lecturing us on how the decomposition of a homo sapien culminated in the buildup of toxic gases in the bodies of the undead_. Dan's face grew placid again as he was jerked back to the present. _This is no time to start getting sentimental._

They walked through the entrance of the Yew Mei Green neighborhood, Chloe noting with displeasure how the safety barrier had been smashed in two, probably by some desperate care driver. Yew Mei seemed to have fared less well than Windermere, for everywhere they looked, signs of upheaval clamored for attention. Windows glowed dull red as the fires behind them continued to rage, and debris and scattered supplies carpeted the ground. The pool was filmed over with some kind of rancid algae, probably from the compound in the pool reacting with the meat bag's toxin. They trooped on, hoping to find a safe place to stay or better, other survivors, but all seemed quiet.

Alonzo casually sliced open the head of a straggling undead that rose at their footfalls and Dan was once again reminded of how much everything had changed. _Just a few days ago I wouldn't wash the toilet bowl._ Tracy walked over to a dark apartment block.

"We should set up camp here." No one was in the mood to argue.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" Dan yelled. No answer. "Don't hurt us, we're coming in!"

Chloe was about to hack the lock of the door when Dan stopped her. "We go through the window. If- _When-_ , the undead return tonight, it's the only thing standing between us and them."

Chloe tipped a jaunty salute. "Whatever you say, boss." They clambered through the window with little difficulty.

The house turned out to be a survivor's paradise. The fridge and cabinets were fully stocked with canned goods to supplement Dan's food, the closets with various articles of sturdy clothing. Best of all, there were 3 beds and the toilets still had running water.

"Oh my god, a bed. Hello bed. Where have you been my entire life?" Alonzo groaned, before collapsing on top of one, blood soaked clothes and all. Tracy wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"I call-"

"I call dibs on the shower!" Tracy said desperately, feeling for the first time how filthy her travels had left her. Chloe frowned.

"Fine."

Dan said nothing, just continued staring at his former friend on the bed. Dan remembered the cold, emotionless look in Alonzo's eyes as he had more or less condemned his best friend to death. Dan knew he had been more or less glad with how things turned out. Alonzo had never liked Marc and his dorky ways. Something stirred inside him. _I wouldn't trust him an inch_.

"Dan? What's wrong?" Chloe said, walking over to him. Dan shook his head, trying to clear his head.

"It's nothing." Dan muttered, tapping his foot impatiently, as Tracy finished her shower and still didn't come out, no doubt prepping her face. _Amazing. In the middle of a catastrophe and some people still don't change_. His thoughts were broken off when he saw Chloe's green eyes narrow to slits as she stared at him, obviously not satisfied with his answer.

"When a kid says nothing, he means something. Trust me, I would know." Chloe probed.

Dan sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. "It's just that…Marc. I mean…I've known him for years, and-"

"Welcome to my world. At least Marc might still be alive. My family is dead-By MY hand." Chloe's voice was edged with bitterness.

Dan looked over at her, suddenly aware for the first time that the rage that coursed through him was no stranger to the green-eyed girl sitting beside him.

Chloe sighed, not looking at him. "Throw yourself into surviving. That's the best we can hope for now anyway." She patted him on the shoulder, rising to leave. The shower stall door opened and Tracy stepped out, hair slicked back, looking like a million bucks. She struck a pose in the pink bath robe she had acquired from the bathroom.

"Ta da! What do you think?" Tracy said sultrily. Dan laughed, thankful for the welcome intrusion.

"You should wear more robes." Alonzo's muffled voice emanated from the bed and they all laughed. Dan just stared at Alonzo.

Dan shook it off. "First come first serve!" He yelled as he charged headfirst into the bathroom, slamming and locking the door as if a horde of undead waited outside. He smirked as the bathroom door shuddered under the force of Chloe's blows, then grabbed the showerhead.


	7. Chapter 6

-11—

Denzel's P.O.V.

"What the hell are we going to do now, buddy?" Travis's insistent whine broke through Denzel's thoughts. "The vending machine is completely drained. If we're going to eat, we need to ransack the houses! You can lead the way!'

"No! It isn't ours!" Denzel protested. The real reason he was adamant against breaking into houses was that he was afraid of the undead inside, but he wasn't going to admit that anytime soon.

Travis scowled, jabbing him in the chest. "Just because you don't have any guts doesn't mean the rest of us have to starve! I don't even know why Dan made you leader in the first place. Ever since you started bossing us around, everything's going downhill!"

Denzel winced as the accusations struck home, then glared at Travis. While his accusations may not have been entirely baseless, what right did this runt have to tell him what to do? A black rage grew in his chest.

Travis, oblivious to Denzel's darkening expression, ranted on. "Now what am I going to tell the kids? We're going hungry for lunch again? You really are a useless sack of-" His words ended in a bloody gurgle and he stared down at the iron spike protruding from his throat in disbelief. Denzel gripped the handle and shoved it deeper into Travis's throat, grinning as the other teen choked and sunk to his knees.

Denzel grinned sadistically and twisted the knife in Travis's throat, drawing it out slowly as the floor turned red. Travis croaked and fell to his knees, staring sightlessly ahead.

Leaning down, Denzel wiped the knife blade clean on Travis's shirt, then spat on Travis's face. Another boy came in and screamed as he took in the scene.

Bridging the distance between them in a single stride, Denzel hit the boy so hard his knuckles jarred.

"If anyone asks, Travis slipped. Now get rid of the body." The boy scrambled to obey, jaw hanging loose as he stared at Denzel with a mixture of fear and loathing. Denzel paid him no mind. _I know you're coming back, Dan. And when you do, I'll be waiting_.

-Dan's P.O.V.—

"Uuurgh!" Dan moaned as some unknown force yanked the warm comforters off him. Then his legs were grabbed and he hit the floor with a thud.

"It's 9 am, Dan, you have to-" Tracy stopped and blushed as she registered the fact that Dan slept in his underwear. Then he snored and she realized he had fallen asleep again in the space of 7 seconds.

Alonzo burst it, ceramic knife at the ready. "WHERE IS IT AT?" He hyperventilated.

Tracy rolled her eyes. "It's nothing. Dan here tends to groan like an undead when woken up." Alonzo lowered the knife sheepishly, then ran to the toilet, a wicked gleam in his eye.

Dan mumbled something in his sleep. Sunlight filtered in through the curtains, the birds were singing, it was a perfect time for a nice morning nap-

And then his brain was bombarded with the agonized screams of billions of nerve endings as the frigid water registered on his skin.

Dan jolted upright, gasping and sputtering, as his 'friends' doubled over in laughter.

"Not funny!"

"Oh it is," Chloe said, then mimed a surprised goldfish. "Ahhhhh!' She screamed, drawing more gales of laughter.

"Let's go," Alonzo cut in anxiously, knowing from years of experience what happened when his friend was tipped over the edge. Dan gladly obliged.

Dan pulled on a worn white T-shirt and jeans, covering up with his last thick leather jacket, similar to the one Marc wore. Then he pulled his hammer, Bludger, from under his pillow. Chloe stared as she tried to imagine sleeping on top of a hammer.

They walked out the front door, Alonzo smashing in the head of a nearby walker as they walked by. Despite seeing this countless times, Dan still grimaced and turned away. _That thing used to have a life, friends, maybe a family_.

"Dan, let's GO!" Chloe snapped, seeing Dan lag behind. Dan walked faster. Best not to brood on what had been done. Still, the ease and familiarity with which they dispatched once-humans irked him. _Never gets any easier,_ his right mind reflected. _Humans adapt. It's what we do,_ his left mind rationalized.

Getting a good look at their neighborhood through fresh eyes, Dan couldn't help but marvel at how beautiful it was- or how it used to be. Palm trees lined the pool edge, and the condominiums were decidedly chic, going for a glass-and-steel look. Lush greenery carpeted the meadows beside the tidy footpaths, aside from the bloodstains, of course. Alonzo noticed the group's reaction to the posh neighborhood, and sniffed.

 _"_ I always thought the residents here were rich, stuck up bastards," Alonzo growled, then his eyes lit up as he spotted a vending machine beside the pool. "Sweet! Guess those prigs thought they were too good for junk food!" He turned to Dan. "Gimme your hammer."

Dan handed over the instrument as requested. "What do you want it for-WAIT, NO!" Alonzo smashed the glass of the vending machine with a ear-rending smash.

"What? That wasn't so loud, wasn't it?" Alonzo's voice was drowned out by the sound of a siren. The few undead roaming around the pool stiffened, then turned to the vending machine as one. "Oh."

"What do you think this is, GTA V or something?" Tracy hissed as she stabbed a meat bag in the throat, then pushed it into another. "You don't break anything unless you have to!"

"We've got to get out of here. The undead outside the hood will have heard it too." Chloe intoned, her voice cold and calculating. Tracy turned back to their block. Dozens of undead stared back at her as they stumbled towards her. "Block 42 is the closest block and it seems relatively empty. Plus, there aren't any fires in the windows." Chloe looked around. "Where's Dan?"

Dan spun like a dervish, tripping the two zombies in front of him as Bludger cracked the skull of the zombie that had crept behind him. The thing collapsed on the floor, the death gurgle in its throat. Through a red mist, Dan dimly registered that he had distanced himself from the group. And he didn't even care! Laughing hysterically, he jumped onto the two ghouls squirming around on the ground, shattering their skulls like rotten watermelons. The shouts of his group resounded from far away, and he snapped out of his bloodlust to worry. _What are we going to do?_ Then his saw a empty shopping cart, rusty from lack of use, next to the stairwell of a nearby apartment building. Dan grinned maniacally. He had an idea.

"Shit! There's too many!" Chloe cursed as she sliced a grinning cut across the throat of a ghoul as it leaned forward to take a chunk out of her. Tracy paled. If Chloe was swearing, things were getting serious. They had tried to clear the way to Block 22, but with no protection from zombie bites, they had no way of moving forward. And Dan was nowhere in sight. A group of zombies was converging on their flank. It would take a miracle to get them out of this fix.

A screech of protesting metal, a flash of grey, and suddenly the zombies, unstable to begin with, were bowled over like so many bowling pins. The thing ground to a stop, Dan behind it gasping for breath. "Get…In…!" He commanded wheezily. The others didn't hesitate.

9 jarring stops and countless mutilated zombies later, they managed to reach Block 22. Dan tipped them onto the floor in a quivering heap, then thrust the cart at the undead teeming behind them, temporarily blocking them. Alonzo held open the staircase door, and they all piled into the stairwell and up the stairs.

"Which level do we stop at, hero boy?" Tracy asked Dan teasingly as they ascended the stairs two steps at a time. Dan, too winded from the shopping cart endeavor to answer, simply held up 4 fingers. Tracy frowned. "Why 4?"

Dan stopped at the level in question, then shrugged. "I've always had a good feeling about the number 4."

Alonzo grunted assent. "We're not in a position to deliberate on which floor to stop at. I'm all for 4!" His mouth twitched as he looked around to see if anyone got the pun. Simultaneously, the group groaned and started throwing dirt and snacks from the vending at him. Dan smiled. It was good to relieve the tension, even if it was just for a few moments. Drawing his leg back, he kicked open the door to Level 4, weapons at the ready.

And stared in shock. The balcony was lined with heads- undead heads, to be sure, but still…

 _What sick bastard would do such a thing?_ Dan wondered. The heads stared vacantly back at him. They weren't offering answers any time soon. Alonzo stopped behind Dan, eyes wide.

"Damn! And I thought my Black Santa collection was weird!" He quipped.

The girls stopped behind Dan, staring at the grisly trophies. Dan straightened.

"Whoever did this, it's a good bet that he-or she-is in the house. Are you sure this is a good idea Dan?" Chloe muttered.

"Yes. We need a larger group if we're going to get through this till the government comes around. Besides, from the looks of it, whoever is in there has some experience killing meat bags." Dan replied uncertainly.

Dan knocked on the door. No answer from within.

"We're just fellow survivors! We won't hurt you! I'm coming in now, don't attack!" Dan pushed the door open.

And a 1 meter blade pressed against his throat.


	8. Chapter 7

"Um…hello." Dan gulped, painfully aware of the razor edge of the wakizashi poking into his jugular. "I assume you live here?"

The door creaked open slightly, and Dan saw who the owner of the blade was. A tall dark teenager clad in black biker jeans, a black T-shirt and black Nikes. Most striking of all was his obsidian eyes that seemed to look right through Dan. He forced the blade into the skin of Dan's throat.

"Who are you and why are you here?" The teen said quietly.

"We're from Windermere and were ambushed by those things on the way here, so we decided to-"

"Cut the crap! You just want to steal all our supplies, don't you?" The kid pressed harder and a single crimson drop trickled down Dan's neck. Alonzo discreetly gulped.

"Evan! Stop that right this instant!" A feminine voice rang out from somewhere behind the teenage psychopath, sorry, _Evan_ , the authority of which even Evan couldn't deny. He reluctantly lowered his wakizashi.

Dan's savior stepped onto the balcony, and Dan's breath caught in his throat.

She was beautiful.

Long, glossy black bangs framed a delicate and petite face. _And her eyes_ … emerald green eyes, green as the lushest patch of Amazon jungle.

Dan knew he was staring, but he couldn't do anything about it. The girl noticed and frowned.

"Hello and thank you for vouching for us! We're just stopping by and-" Alonzo cut in, his voice deeper and faster than usual. Dan glared-Then stopped when he realized what he was doing.

"Anyway. I think introductions are in order." Chloe's tone was drier than usual and Dan stared at her incredulously. The girl who had probably just saved his life, and Chloe was being disagreeable? _Talk about first impressions._

"Why don't you come inside? This isn't the best atmosphere for discussion." A smile quirked at the corner of the girl's mouth, and Dan caught the subtle humor. The hundred snapping mouths of the undead 4 floors below didn't make for a civil conversation. The girl opened the door, and the group stepped through, closing the door firmly behind them.

Evan growled and smashed his fist against the doorframe.

"This is a horrible idea! I say we get rid of these low level scum before we wake up to find our pantry empty!" He shout-whispered to the girl, loud enough for everyone to hear. Chloe elegantly shrugged, but Alonzo had had enough.

Evan gasped as he was smashed against the wall, two large brown hands ripping his collar. "Look punk, I don't know what you want with us, or what issues you have, but I for one DO NOT appreciate it! So get off your freaking high horse and work with us!" Alonzo's black voice reached a comical peak at the end and Dan stifled a grin. _Same old 'Lonzo._

"Cut it out!" Chloe pulled Alonzo off, and pushed him away. "The last thing we need is fighting."

"Damn straight. Why don't we start afresh? Hi, my name's Yi Ning. Tell us how you got here."

-12—

Chloe's P.O.V.

She glowered at the floor as Dan told Yi Ning about everything they had been through up till now, excluding Marc's questionable fate. _So much the better,_ She thought, _The last thing we need is for our hosts to decide Dan is emotionally unstable._ Then she looked up at the person in question and scowled. She may not have been an expert on teenage hormones, but an idiot could see the look on Dan's face as he talked to _her._ Chloe had a bad feeling about Yi Ning. She was too pretty for her own good. Chloe didn't trust pretty people.

Dan's P.O.V.

"And that's how we ended up in this place." Dan finished, looking up at Yi Ning. It had been a fantastical tale, but he had the feeling Yi Ning trusted them to tell the truth. Yi Ning smiled.

"You must be exhausted after all you've been through. If you want to nap before we bring you up to speed on what's going on here in Yew Mei Green, the couch is vacant." She glanced over to the plush couch, now occupied by Tracy and Alonzo. "Was vacant, anyway."

Dan chuckled apologetically.

"They're not like that all the time, I promise!"

Yi Ning laughed with him, and her laugh was running water, soothing his flustered spirit.

"I will see you in the morning." She gestured at the clock. 9pm. _Time flies when you're having fun,_ Dan thought grimly. He turned to leave.

Then Chloe grabbed his arm, and led him out to the balcony.

"What are you-" Dan was cut off

"No! No! What are _you_ doing?" Chloe hissed, and Dan could practically hear the veins in her neck popping. "We barely know these people, let alone trust them, and you want to get all friendly with them? For all we know they could stab us in our sleep!" Chloe knew she was overreacting, but she couldn't stop. "You don't survive this long by being _nice!_ "

Dan didn't reply. He stood there, looking at her. A low, rumbling sound emanated from his throat, and Chloe thought he was choking. Then she realized he was laughing.

"What's so funny, jerk?" She scowled, the corner of her mouth curling in derision, and Dan just laughed louder. His face turned slightly pink, and it was a few minutes before he could stop. Then he looked at her facial expression, and started laughing again.

"What?" She pressed, only for him to laugh harder.

"Nothing. I'm going to sleep. If that pleases you, ma'am." He snapped off an exaggerated salute, and staggered back into the house. Chloe glared at his back. _Stupid man._

Denzel's P.O.V.

Denzel cursed as the pack of Smarties imploded, spraying candy all over the floor. Ravenous children scrambled to eat them, and Denzel had to use the heel of his foot to drive them off before popping the sweets into his mouth. Stupid kids. He threw down the empty pack, then turned to his appointed "Second-In-Command" Rover.

"I asked for a meal. Do you really think a pack of candy qualifies?" He snarled.

Rover, eyes wide, started to answer, but was cut off when Denzel backhanded him. "Find some proper food, for heaven's sake!"

Rover scrambled off, presumably to look for any unsmashed vending machines. Denzel settled back on his "throne" of ragged clothing, not unaware of the hate-filled looks sent his way. If he was to maintain his position as top dog, he would need action. Soon.

"Denzel! We have information on Dan's whereabouts!" A young scout ran up to Denzel, face flushed with success. "He was last seen on a balcony in Yew Mei Green, along with Alonzo, the 2 girls, and 2 strangers we didn't recognize."

Denzel straightened, and smiled. This was the first good news he had received in a long time. "Where are the other scouts?" He demanded.

The young boy's face fell. "There were too many meat bags around the balcony. The others got separated from me."

Denzel waved the young boy impatiently. What did he care for a few missing boys?

"Gather 'round!" He shrilled, voice dry from dehydration, and the other small kids huddled around him.

"Alright gents, here's the plan…"


	9. Chapter 8

Tracy's P.O.V.

Tracy ran, legs thumping unevenly across cracked tarmac. Behind her, the undead howled for her blood, the long, modified legs of the super-zombies chewing up the pavement.

Screaming, she rounded a corner, narrowly dodging the hundred rotting hands grabbing for her. Then she skidded to a halt, staring in disbelief.

A dead end. She backed up against the red brick wall, readying her stiletto. The first of the undead surged around the corner, swiftly dispatched by a quick stab to the head. Then she was knocked off her feet by the horde. A zombie sank his yellowing teeth into her arm.

Tracy shot upright, breathing hard. She checked her arms. Nothing. Then she remembered where she was and relaxed. It had been a dream.

"Hey." Alonzo patted her on the shoulder, and she sank back onto the couch, breathing deeply. "What's wrong?"

"Just a dream." Tracy didn't go into specifics, and Alonzo, knowing the strain of losing Marc coupled with the nerve-wracking events of the previous day, didn't probe.

"Alonzo." She turned to him. "I know it's completely irrational, but-"

"I have that feeling too." He said grimly. "Something's coming."

Alonzo's P.O.V.

He headed out the door, stretching as he surveyed the surroundings. The birds chirped in the trees and the leaves cast dappled shadows all over the grounds. Grass had already begun poking in between the cobblestones of the street, and Alonzo found it beautiful in a strange kind of way. Mother Nature reclaiming its own. If not for the bodies of undead scattered below them on the ground, one could almost forget the predicament the world was in.

And then Alonzo realized that the corpses on the ground far outnumbered the ones they killed yesterday. Someone had been busy.

"Alonzo! Run!" The words had barely registered when the thin blade of a army knife, rusty but still sharp, pressed into his throat.

"You will come with us if you don't want to join our friends down below." Alonzo started at the unfamiliar voice down there. He turned slowly, to see a throng of teenagers, holding his friends at knifepoint. They had been betrayed.

"Evan!" He growled, looking at the tall dark teen that stood among their attackers. "You scumbag!"

Evan shrugged eloquently. "You overstayed your welcome."

The knife dug into Alonzo's throat, drawing blood. "Let's get you downstairs."

Alonzo, Dan, Tracy, and Chloe were brought down to the ground level, arms bound securely behind their backs with rattan string.

Dan spotted the line of blood on Alonzo's neck, and smirked.

"I guess that makes two of us," He exclaimed, looking pointedly at Evan's katana. Alonzo burst out laughing, and the others looked at him as if he'd lost his marbles. _Which in all interests, you probably have_. Then the teen escorting them cuffed Alonzo hard on the back of the head, effectively shutting him up.

They were led through the condominium.

Looking around, Alonzo had to say- he was impressed by the organization of the Yew Mei residents. They clearly had a firm ruling hierarchy in place, with every survivor doing his part in different jobs. Some were standing guard by the exits and entrances of the condominium, while others ransacked houses and stockpiled supplies in the nearby barbecue pit. The lush turf had been ripped up and crudely sown with wooden sticks, and rudimentary crops like carrot and bean plants were being grown in shaky rows. Alonzo might even had the capacity to be impressed, if not for the fact that he was being led like a sheep to the slaughter. Alonzo sighed. They would figure a way out of this. Wouldn't they?

Chloe's P.O.V.

She struggled along, all too aware of the leers of the boys behind her on her shapely ass.

Chloe spat, with such venom that the boys flanking her flinched. A cacophony of jeers and catcalls erupted from behind her. Chloe forced herself to shut up. Although she desperately wanted to castrate each and every one of them, she knew that struggling was pointless. So she walked on, vision tinged with rage.

Dan's P.O.V.

Dan smoothly glided forward, seemingly oblivious to the unsheathed blades all around him. His mind whirled with thoughts. _Did Yi Ning sell us out? Who is in charge of this condominium_? _Why do these boys seem so afraid of me?_

That was when Dan realized the boys had all become eerily silent.

"Put him down." A grating voice cut through the air, and Dan was immediately flung to the pavement. A pair of black sneakers with metal tips was the first thing he saw. Then he was kicked onto his back and lay there, too-bright stars spinning in his vision.

"So. I presume these are the spies from Windermere?" The owner of the shoes asked.

"Yes. We caught them in one of the units, probably trying to stake out our territory. I would be careful if I were you," The boy guarding Dan replied, lowering his voice to a whisper, "This lot took out more than a quarter of the biters in the area. He's dangerous."

"Interesting."

Dan glared up at the speaker, lip still smarting from the vicious kick. Dressed completely in mint condition army fatigues, the boy smirked down at him with a face chiseled but cruel at the same time.

"What the hell do you want with us, bringing us here? And who are you?" He ventured, earning another kick that sent him reeling.

"You may call me Daniel. Daniel Tan. Why did you come? Was it to do reconnaissance for the 'Mere boys? " The boy said harshly, pressing his face into Dan's bloodied one. Flecks of spittle adorned his lip.

Gazing up into his face, Dan tried to recall when he'd last seen that look. Then he remembered. On a mission trip his dad had brought him on, they had witnessed on video the burning of a church by the hands of Muslim terrorists. Their faces, painted red by the flickering flames, lips bared in manic glee, eyes twisted in sick religious fervor, would stick with him till his dying day. They did not question for a second the moral implications of what they were doing. They were completely sure that they were the victims, doing the right thing, purging the land from the 'white man infidels'. People like that, walled up in a prison of their mind, unable to take numerous perspectives, were dangerous. People like the one standing over him, a grin on his face not unlike that of the terrorists.

"So, you are deaf as well as dumb? Speak!" Lago demanded in a monotone. Dan replied with stubborn silence, continuing to gaze into the former's face with an inscrutable expression, sizing him up. _For all his imposing mannerisms, he can't be older than I am,_ Dan assured himself, face still devoid of expression. This infuriated Lago to no end, although he was careful not to lose his cool.

The metal tip of his sneakers smashed into Dan's solar plexus, winding him. Then Lago planted a fist into Dan's face, opening his lip. A thin trickle of blood dripped to the concrete of the floor.

"Boss, we believe they were spies from Windermere, sent to survey our weak spots. We-" Evan's reedy voice was silenced with a look from Lago.

"Who is _we?_ You and that traitorous bitch we allocated to live with you?" Evan winced, and Dan guessed that despite them being polar opposites, Evan must be very fond of Yi Ning.

"We aren't spies! Why would we want to take over your neighborhood anyway? Hell, the current _administration_ has its hands full staying alive anyway!" Tracy burst out, righteous indignation plastered across her face. The group turned to her, startled. Tracy, realizing her outburst, quickly clammed up, flushing a deep aubergine red.

Daniel Tan scrutinized her with practiced eyes. _Hmmm. Either they are telling the truth and came here for shelter, or she is a practiced liar._ He mused.

Alonzo, like Dan, maintained a stoic silence, further adding to the tense atmosphere. Throats were cleared. Shoes tapped. One Yew Mei teen even started walking away before a glare from Lago stopped him in his tracks.

Lago looked from Dan, to Alonzo, to Tracy, to Chloe, then back to Dan. _Dan is clearly the leader here. I break him, I break the rest of them._

"So, keeping mum, are we?" Tan leered sadistically. "No matter. I've got all day to…jog your memory." He drew his foot back, aiming for Dan's face.

"No! Stop it!" Yi Ning, her hair disheveled, burst into the circle, gasping for breath. Two boys ran after her, evidently having failed to contain her. Tan looked up, his concentration broken. That was all the distraction Dan needed.

Leaping to his feet, Dan snapped his makeshift rope bindings with a single pull. As he rose, he yanked the tiny stiletto that the guards had overlooked from Tracy's boot in one fluid motion. The whole process took less than a second.

A flash of steel, and Dan was gripping Tan's head in a vice, blade pressed right on his jugular, the latter looking utterly terrified. Tan opened his mouth to bark an order.

"Say a word and I guarantee it'll be your last." Dan's voice was deep and gravelly, filled with quiet menace. Almost voluntarily, the other boys stepped back, eyes wide. They knew a leader when they saw one. And leaders tended to keep their word.

Yi Ning looked at Dan, awestruck. Dan's grim visage, swathed in shadow despite the morning heat, seemed a thing both terrifying and terrible. Power lay in the swell of his arm, authority chattered monkeylike into his ear. She could only imagine what Tan felt.

"Look, I don't know you or how you got so paranoid. But believe it or not, my group didn't come to your little empire to conquer it. So this is how things are going to work. You and I are going to go back to Yi Ning's flat, pack up, then leave, at which point this blade will come off your neck. If you try to stop or hurt us in any way," At this point Dan dug in with the knife, "I'm carving you a new smile."

"You're bluffing!" Tan gasped, all bravado gone. Dan gritted his teeth, and shoved him to the ground, blade now positioned at his crotch. "Wanna put that to the test?" Tan adamantly shook his head. "Thought so. Let's move."

"Wait!" Dan paused, turned. Yi Ning stood there, hands on her hips. "Don't go. You clearly have experience dealing with the biters, and we're short on guards at the moment. If you truly bear us no ill will, you would be welcome to be part of this community." Dan looked around uncertainly. A lot of nodding heads. He turned to Alonzo and the others. "So, what about it?"

Chloe looked over at Tracy, and shared a look. "I don't see why not."

Dan turned to Yi Ning and Tan, and helped Tan up. "Alrightey. Guess we're in. No hard feelings about just now?" Tan smiled stiffly.

No one noticed Evan stewing in the corner until he walked up and tapped Yi Ning on the shoulder. "Can I talk with you a minute?" He growled, then more or less hauled her to the corner. Dan looked pointedly at Alonzo, who smiled and winked. They both knew that Alonzo had exceptional hearing from birth. It would be such a shame to waste such a gift. Listening in on their conversation, Alonzo started mouthing the words to Dan.

"Are you out of your damn mind? We just met these people yesterday! So one of them is handy with a knife. Big deal! We can't just invite people in left and right, this isn't a charity! Besides, I can do more with my katana than he could ever do with his fancy knife and ball peen hammer!" Evan's blood was up, flecks of saliva spraying from his mouth. At this point everyone could hear what they were saying.

"Evan, calm down. You know that they have proven themselves adept in combat. Besides, Dan seems reasonable and friendly." Yi Ning stuttered, nervous in the face of Evan's displeasure. Evan growled and shoved her against the wall. "Listen—"

"No, you listen." Evan looked up to see Dan smirking down at him, arms crossed. "You think we're untrustworthy? Fine. You don't like us? I can deal with that. But touch her one more time, and I'm giving you a bruise that painkillers won't touch."

The matte-black katana rang from its sheath, Evan adjusting himself in a wide horseman stance. "Was that a threat, backstabbing scum?" Dan adjusted his grip on the stiletto.

"Bring it."


	10. Chapter 9

Tracy's P.O.V.

She stared in shock as the two boys circled each other warily. Just last week, no one would have allowed this to happen. The enormity of shedding blood, the utter wrongness of a knife cutting into red flesh had become trivial, mundane. She looked into the faces of the onlookers and saw only a vague interest. There would be no sympathy here.

Evan lunged, his face a hard mask of hate and Dan sidestepped deftly, swiping his stiletto along the length of the longer blade in a shower of sparks, only to trip on Evan's outstretched leg. The heavy katana swept down again and this time Dan was on the floor. As he ducked, the blade cut into the muscle of his shoulder. Dan screamed and backhanded Evan, who staggered backwards, his nose streaming with blood and tissue fluid.

As suddenly as they had engaged, they broke apart, both swaying slightly as they struggled to orient themselves.

"So, I am opened and you are opened. Shall we fight another 5 hours?" Evan sneered, wiping a streamer of blood from his eyes. Dan said nothing, adjusting the grip on the stiletto. "No, one of us will be finished much sooner than that, won't we?" Again the lethal strip of burnished steel flashed and Dan yelled in pain as he deflected it with the stiletto-barely. With a deft flick, Evan severed Dan's hamstring and gashed into his right wrist.

Dan dropped to the ground like a limp marionette. A chill wind blew as Evan strode over to him, the katana trailing in the sand behind him. Dan's numb fingers closed around the hilt of the stiletto.

"No!" Chloe burst forward, only to be restrained by two henchman. "Leave it." Tan pronounced, face grim. "Evan's our best fighter. You wouldn't even get close."

"Look!" Evan grabbed Dan's head, baring his throat to the crowd. "Look at him!" This was directed at Yi Ning who stood wide-eyed. "Is this your friend? Your _hero_? This good-for-nothing brawler?" He hurled Dan to the ground who deftly transferred the knife to his good left hand. "Did you really think you could barge in here and just take over?" He raised his sword. "Well now you die, just like all the other would-be invaders!"

Quick as thought, Dan flung the knife. It sang through the air, like a deadly beam of light that somehow hung in the air for an eternity. For one frozen moment, Evan's horrified eyes centered on the projectile. In the next millisecond, his forehead sprouted a steel horn. Gouts of blood sprayed as he dropped the katana and sank to his knees.

Dan scrambled upright and kicked Evan's leg hard, splintering bone. Evan collapsed forward into Dan's arms and for one moment, it seemed like an intimate embrace, the prey acknowledging its demise and the predator gratefully accepting the prey's sacrifice.

"No. I-I beat you." Evan had already begun to gurgle, flecks of gore specking his chin as he struggled for breath.

"Rest well." Dan grabbed the hilt of the stiletto and shoved it out the other side of Evan's head then staggered to his feet. "Bury him." Tan ordered as Dan limped off, followed by Alonzo, Tracy and Chloe. It would be a long day.


End file.
